Swampscott residents are encouraged to take their boats out of the harbor, as a nor’easter is expected to hit the region this weekend.
“If your chain or mooring line isn’t up to speed, it could cause a boat to break away and end up along the beach or the rocks,” said Swampscott Harbormaster and Police Lt. Bill Waters. “The other issue is even if the mooring line holds, the issue is your batteries could be failing and not letting the bilge pump pump out the water and rain that we’re expected to get.”
A nor’easter is expected to bring coastal flooding, high surf, strong winds and rain to New England, according to The Weather Channel. Southeast New England is expected to see heavy rain, strong winds and coastal flooding on Friday, with locally heavy rain, strong winds and high-tidecoastal flooding continuing Saturday. Downed tree limbs and power outages are also possible, with some wind gusts reaching more than 50 mph.
The storm will weaken on Sunday, but rain showers and gusty winds could linger, The Weather Channel reports.
Rain is expected to begin in Swampscott Saturday and continue through Monday night, according to Windy, which uses global, high-resolution regional and European weather models. Windy forecasts more than two inches of rain in Swampscott.
“Generally a northeast storm is favorable to Swampscott because we’re protected by land and the harbor,” Waters said. “They are expecting large swells to be rolling through the harbor and at low tide that could cause some issues with boats in shallow water bottoming out.”
There are also storms predicted throughout the following week.
As of Wednesday morning, Waters noted that “a lot of people have already pulled their boats.” The harbormaster boat was pulled on Tuesday as well “as a precaution.”
“If you’re unable to pull your boat, we recommend that you get out to the boat to check on your mooring lines and tendons to make sure they’re secured and not frayed, to check on your batteries to make sure your batteries are fully operable and so that your bilge pump can pump any water from the storm out of your boat,” Waters said.
Waters said the actual rain often causes the most issues in these types of storms, as the bilge pumps will be “worked constantly and drains your battery and then the bilge pump fails and the boat is filled with water and capsizes.”
The Department of Public Works is pulling most of the floats in Swampscott’s harbor, Waters said. The main dock will be left Wednesday and Thursday so that people can have access to the launch to reach their boats.
The town posted a public notice that “all kayaks, paddleboards, and other paddle craft must be removed from Fisherman’s Beach by Thursday evening.” It is recommended that the equipment is secured at people’s homes or another protected location prior to the storm conditions’ arrival.
“Taking these steps will help protect personal property, prevent debris hazards, and support public safety during the storm,” the town posted to social media. “Thank you for your prompt attention and cooperation.”
